Patient education: Taking medicines during pregnancy (The Basics)

Is it safe to take medicines while I am pregnant? — It depends on the medicine. Some are safe to take during pregnancy, while others are not.

If you take any medicines regularly, talk to your doctor or nurse before you start trying to get pregnant. This includes prescription medicines, "over-the-counter" medicines, and herbs or supplements.

If you are already pregnant, check with your doctor or nurse before taking any new medicines.

Can I keep taking my prescription medicine while I am pregnant? — Your doctor will talk to you about whether you should keep taking your medicine. In some cases, they will want you to stop your medicine until after you give birth. That's because certain medicines can cause problems during pregnancy, such as:

●Pregnancy loss (miscarriage)

●Problems with the baby's development

●The baby being born too early

Sometimes, you might be able to switch to a different medicine during pregnancy. Your doctor can talk to you about your options. This will depend on the specific medicine you take and why you need it.

What about over-the-counter medicines? — Over-the-counter, or "OTC," medicines are ones that you can buy in a pharmacy or store. They do not require a doctor's prescription. They come in different forms, including pills, creams, and eye drops.

People commonly use OTC medicines to treat:

●Fever

●Cough and cold

●Allergies

●Skin rashes or hives

●Diarrhea or constipation

●Heartburn

Some OTC medicines can cure the condition that is causing the symptoms. But many OTC medicines do not. Instead, they only help with symptoms for a short time.

Some OTC medicines are probably safe to take during pregnancy, but others aren't. It depends on:

●The medicine – Experts know that some medicines are probably safe to take during pregnancy. They also know that other medicines are not safe. But for many OTC medicines, experts don't know the answer. That's because studies have not been done to check the safety of most OTC medicines during pregnancy.

●How far along the pregnancy is – When a problem happens with a baby's development, this most often happens in the first few months of pregnancy. If you take an OTC medicine during that time, this can increase the chance that the medicine will harm your baby.

The best way to know if an OTC medicine is safe to take during pregnancy is to ask your doctor or nurse.

Which pain-relieving medicine is best to take during pregnancy?

●Doctors usually recommend using acetaminophen (brand name: Tylenol) to treat pain during pregnancy. Check with your doctor before taking any other pain medicines.

If your pain or headache doesn't get better after you take 1 dose of acetaminophen, tell your doctor or nurse. It's especially important to let your doctor or nurse know if you have pain or a headache in the last half of pregnancy. These could be symptoms of a serious problem.

●Doctors usually tell pregnant people to avoid taking medicines called "NSAIDs," especially after 20 weeks of pregnancy. NSAIDs include regular-dose aspirin, ibuprofen (sample brand names: Advil, Motrin), and naproxen (sample brand name: Aleve). Taking NSAIDs for more than a day or 2 after 20 weeks of pregnancy could harm your baby. If your doctor suggested taking daily low-dose aspirin during your pregnancy, it is OK to continue to do this.

What can I take to treat constipation? — To treat constipation, you can add more fiber to your diet (table 1). You can also use a fiber supplement.

If your constipation doesn't get better, ask your doctor or nurse about taking a medicine called a "laxative." These medicines can help you have bowel movements.

Can I take herbal products? — Ask your doctor or nurse before you take any herbal product (including herbal tea) or supplement. Some herbal products can harm a developing baby.

What else should I do? — You should:

●Talk to your doctor or nurse at your routine pregnancy check-ups. Ask them which OTC medicines are safe to take for common problems like headache and cough. That way, if you have these symptoms, you will know which medicines to use.

●Ask questions if you're not sure how to use a medicine. You can ask the pharmacist or your doctor or nurse.

●Choose a medicine that treats only the symptoms or condition you have.

●Take the lowest dose of the medicine that helps your symptoms, and use it for only a short time.

●Throw away expired medicine.

Where can I go to learn more? — You can get more information about medicines and pregnancy from MotherToBaby (www.mothertobaby.org). They also have a phone hotline that is free in the US: 1-866-626-6847.

More on this topic

Patient education: How to plan and prepare for a healthy pregnancy (The Basics)
Patient education: Nutrition before and during pregnancy (The Basics)
Patient education: Morning sickness (The Basics)
Patient education: Acid reflux and GERD during pregnancy (The Basics)
Patient education: Prenatal care (The Basics)
Patient education: Pregnancy symptoms (The Basics)
Patient education: Brand versus generic medicines (The Basics)

Patient education: Nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (Beyond the Basics)